Blackguard“Death is expecting you; allow me to bring you together.”Class TraitsRole: Defender. You are able to endure the most punishing attacks because of your high hit points and heavy armor. Your powers enable you to pull your enemies towards you and strike them down with Death’s Powers. You lean towards the striker as a secondary role.

Power Source: Shadow. You receive you power by serving the dark hunger of Death itself.

Blackguards are the imposing knights of Death. Unlike the Paladin, you don’t serve a God or Goddess, but the power that affects all things, Death. The Assassin bargains with Death for its power, but is ultimately as fleeting to it as those who Death consumes, while the Blackguard is Death’s chosen warrior. Death grants his chosen with powerful hexes that enable its servants to utilize debilitating strikes and spells. With each enemy that a Blackguard kills, Death grants even more power to his black knight which increases your powers and allows you to shape you hexes in different ways. However, Blackguards are not ravenous killers. A Blackguard’s primary job is to make sure no one escapes Death’s grasp. Blackguards ease the passage of the dying, and hunt down those who try to escape. Those who oppose a Blackguard only bring themselves closer to Death. Exceptions are those released back by the Raven Queen, be it by a resurrection spell or a Remnant she has sent back, for she is Death’s mistress, deciding those whose time has come. No one knows why Death chooses those he does. While many may be Remnants sent back by the Raven Queen, most seem to be just random individuals. While some individuals may see Blackguards as anti-Paladins and forces of evil, they couldn’t be more wrong. While Blackguards may lack the more honorable ways of the Paladin, they are not strictly good or evil, as Death is accepting of all. In fact most are unaligned, as they see Death as a natural process of the world. There are temples in some secluded places of the world where some Blackguards gather to train initiates and as a point of operation to seek out Death’s enemies.

Blackguards rely on Strength, Charisma and Constitution for most of their key abilities, Strength bolstering their melee attacks and charisma bolstering their ranged attacks. High constitutions give Blackguards more hit points and increase the power of their debilitating attacks. Blackguards start with two common builds the Reaper Blackguard and the Shade Blackguard.

Reaper BlackguardYou symbolize the power of Death itself. You prefer to use your powers to augment your already punishing blows, preferring heavy blades for their ability to dish out a large amount of damage, but also symbolize your position as Death’s Reaper. Your main ability score should be Strength followed by a high constitution to empower your poisonous and debilitating attacks. Charisma should be third for it will aid in your ranged powers. Select powers that focus on Strength to make the most of this build. Suggested Feat: Marked For Despair (Human Feat: Human Perseverance) Suggested Skills: Athletics, Endurance, History, Intimidate Suggested At-will powers: Death’s Blade, Reaper's Cull Suggested Encounter Power: Deadly Precision Suggested Daily Power: Call of the Dead

Shade BlackguardYou are a shadow warrior. You shield yourself with the power of darkness, and drain the life energy from your foes with your attacks. A high charisma is a must, followed by strength for draining strikes. Constitution should be your third highest for more control of your enemies. Select powers that hinder your foes and protect your allies. Suggested Feat: Vile Darkness (Human Feat: Toughness) Suggested Skills: Diplomacy, Insight, Religion, Stealth Suggested At-will powers: Life Leech, Draining Grasp Suggested Encounter power: Dark Circle Suggested Daily power: Bane Blade

Characteristics: Like other defenders you boast the ability to take a lot of the heat of battle. However, you also boast some ranged powers to help you reach fleeing enemies or to bring enemies that got past back to you.

Religion: Blackguards use the Shadow power they recieve from the power of Death itself, and most Blackguards are content in their own religion focused on Death, the ultimate end. However, some also worship the Raven Queen for she is the one who marks the end of mortal’s lives. Other religions can be found, like ones that focus on Death as relieving pain may worship Pelor, but such cases are rare.

Races: Tieflings take naturally to the dark path of the Shade blackguard. Half-orcs have the strength to pursue the Reaper build and often choose it for its seclusion. Dragonborn fit the classes primary scores perfectly, and humans are also ideal candidates.

Death Count: All Blackguards have a list of those they have sent to the Shadowfell as well as those whose time has come. For each creature you kill in combat you gain a Death Point that you add to your Death Count which can then be used to enhance your blackguard powers. The number of points you can store are dependent on your level (explained in the following table).

Death’s BlessingYou may choose one of the class features listed below:

Blessing of Darkness: You are blessed with defense. While not wearing heavy armor you can use your charisma modifier instead of your Intelligence or Dexterity modifier to determine your AC. In addition, you can add the number of points from your Death Count class feature to your Stealth checks.

Blessing of Despair: You have an Aura of Despair; enemies adjacent to you take a -1 penalty to all saves. In addition, whenever you have at least one point in your Death Count, whenever you drop of foe to 0 hit points with an attack, you gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll to an adjacent enemy.

Death’s Mark Blackguard FeatureDeath hungers for your foe, your weapon his powerful maw. Ignoring him only makes him hunger more.At-Will* ShadowFree ActionTrigger: You hit an enemy with an attackTarget: The triggering enemyEffect: You mark the target. The mark lasts until your current target is killed. While a target is marked it takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls for any attack that does not include you as a target. A creature can only be subject to one mark at a time. A new mark supersedes a mark that was already in place. You must be within a number of squares equal to your Charisma or Constitution modifier of your target by the end of each of your turns or the mark will fade. You can only mark another target if someone supersedes your mark, your target dies, or your mark fades. In addition, if the marked enemy makes an attack that doesn’t include you as a target, you can slide the target a number of squares equal to your Constitution or Charisma modifier adjacent to you and make a melee basic attack against the target as an immediate reaction. If the target can’t be pulled in an adjacent space, then the marked target does not move and all enemies adjacent to you takes necrotic damage equal to the number of points you have in your Death Count.Special: Choose Constitution or Charisma to apply to all of this feature’s effects at first level.

[/sblock]Blackguard PowersBlackguards powers are called Hexes. They draw on the your dark connection with Death itself. These hexes imbue your strikes with dark powers, shape dark energies, and pull your enemies ever closer to Death’s Embrace.

Call of the Dead Blackguard Attack 1The dropping blood of your foe causes skeletal hands to reach up and hold him in place.Daily* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 3[W] + Strength Modifier damage and the target is immobilized (save ends).Miss: Half damage and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Invigorating Death Blackguard Utility 2Upon slaying the one marked for Death, you are filled with a rejuvenated vitality.Daily*Healing, Shadow Minor Action PersonalRequirement: You must have reduced a foe marked by you to 0 or fewer hit points during this turn.Effect: You regain hit points equal to 1d6 + your Charisma modifier + your Constitution modifier.Special: If you spend a point from your Death Count you can heal an ally within a range 5 instead of yourself.

Rebuking Blast Blackguard Utility 2With a wave of your hand you push your allies away from your foes.Encounter* Shadow Minor Action Range 10Target: One or two alliesEffect: You slide each target 3 squares, this movement must be away from your enemies.Special: You can spend a point from your Death Count to add another ally to the effect.

Silent Armor Blackguard Utility 2Death covers you in a veil of silence, so you cause no noise for a short time.Encounter* Shadow Minor Action PersonalEffect: You gain a +5 power bonus to stealth checks and can ignore any penalty due to wearing heavy armor on sneak checks until the end of your next turn.Sustain minor: Spend a point from your Death Count. The effect persists.

Banishing Strike Blackguard Attack 3A red glow encompasses your blade, banishing undead and cursing the living.Encounter*Radiant, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier radiant damage and the target is marked until the end of your next turn. If the target is undead, add your charisma modifier to the damage and the target is also immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Deadly Spire Blackguard Attack 3A spire of dark energy spikes out of your body skewering those around you.Encounter*Implement, Necrotic, Shadow Standard Action Close Burst 1Target: Each creature in the burst. Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 2d8 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn

Shade Guardian Blackguard Attack 3Upon seeing your ally in danger, you conjure a shade that keeps the enemy distracted.Encounter*Implement, Necrotic, Shadow Immediate Interrupt Range 5Trigger: An ally is attacked by a creatureTarget: The attacking Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Will Hit: The enemy takes a penalty to the attack role for the triggering attack equal to your Constitution modifier. If the attack misses, make a secondary attack. Secondary Attack: Charisma +2 vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage and you pull the target two squares.

Soul Chains Blackguard Attack 3You thrust out two shimmering chains that wrap around your foes and pull them to you.Encounter* Implement, Necrotic, Shadow Standard Action Range 10Target: one or two creatures in range Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 1d8 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage and you pull the target a number of squares equal to your constitution modifier. If you target just one creature with this attack, increasedamage to 2d8 + Charisma modifier damage.

Blessing of the Dead Blackguard Attack 5You enhance your weapon with the strength of those you have killed before to strike down your new target.Daily* Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC and you must spend a point of your Death Count.Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier + Constitution modifier necrotic damage.Miss: Half-damage

Guillotine Blackguard Attack 5You conjure a spectral guillotine that swings back in forth, cutting all in its path.Daily* Conjuration, Force, Implement, ShadowStandard Action Area wall 5 within 5 squaresEffect: You conjure a flying guillotine that swings back in forth in the wall’s area. It's unable to move besides that motion and the wall has to be a straight line (completely one way). This area counts as difficult terrain. The guillotine can make the following the attack.Immediate Interrupt Melee 1 (centered on one square of the wall)Trigger: A creature enters or starts their turn in the wall.Target: triggering creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier force damage.Sustain minor: The wall persists.

Deathly Reactions Blackguard Utility 6Death's warns you of impending danger, preparing you for combat.Daily* Shadow Immediate Reaction PersonalTrigger: You would be surprised.Effect: You are no longer surprised and can act in the surprise round. You still grant combat advantage until the end of the first round of combat.

Graveyard Spires Blackguard Utility 6You conjure four pillars of bones from beyond the grave to shape the battlefield to your advantage.Daily* Conjuration, ShadowMinor Action Range 5Effect: You conjure four skeletal spires, similar to stalagmites, on four unoccupied squares within range, though they can not be adjacent to each other. These pillars block movement, but can be attacked and destroyed (using your defenses and having your surge value of Hit Points). If they are destroyed the square they resided in becomes difficult terrain.

Poison Blades Blackguard Utility 6Using your skill with poison, you enhance you and your allies’ damage.Daily*Poison, Shadow Minor Action Burst 1Target: You and each ally in burstEffect: The targets add 1d6 poison damage on melee attacks until the end of the encounter.

Truth of Death Blackguard Utility 6Death has no reason to lie, so neither do you. As such people are more accepting to your offers or threats.Encounter* Shadow No Action PersonalEffect: You can re-roll a diplomacy or intimidate check and take the higher result.

Dark Blitz Blackguard Attack 7You swing a strengthened blow that sends your foe flying.Encounter* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage and the target is pushed two squares and falls prone. If another creature is in the way of this movement, that creature takes damage equal to your strength modifier and also falls prone.

Headhunter Blackguard Attack 7Those marked by Death are soon hunted down. With a quick slide you slash into your target.Encounter* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. If the target was marked by you, the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.Effect: You can shift two squares before the attack.

Dark Net Blackguard Attack 9With careful attention you make sure no one gets away.Daily* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage. If you spend a point from your death count you may add your Charisma modifier to the damage roll.Miss: Half damage Effect: Until the end of the encounter, any time an adjacent enemy tries to shift away, as an immediate interrupt, you can make a melee basic attack against the target. If your attack hits, the enemy’s movement ends.

Death's Focus Blackguard Attack 9Rather than do damage you look for your opponents weak spot; a test strike is all you need for your opponent to be helpless against your onslaught.Daily*Poison, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Charisma vs. ACHit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier poison damage and you can make an at-will attack power against the target with a +2 bonus to the attack roll as a free action. The target is helpless against the second attack.Miss: Half damage and you can make an at-will attack against the target who grants combat advantage for that attack.

Death’s Healing Blackguard Utility 10You use the power Death has granted you to heal your wounds.Daily*Healing, Shadow Minor Action PersonalEffect: You spend a point from your Death Count and heal as if you used a healing surge. Add your charisma modifier to the hit points gained.

Kill the Toxin Blackguard Utility 10Your training in the arts of Death makes you more resistant against toxins and other anomalies.Encounter* Shadow No Action PersonalEffect: Before the start of your turn, before you take ongoing damage, you can make a saving throw. You may spend a point from your Death Count to grant you a +2 power bonus on your save.

Skeletal Armor Blackguard Utility 10Toughened bones combine with your armor building a defense few things can penetrate.Daily* Shadow Minor Action PersonalEffect: You gain +2 to AC until the end of your next turn.Sustain minor: Spend a point from your Death Count. The effect is sustained.

Death's Call Blackguard Attack 13Your enemy needs only to look into your eyes to know he can't escape his fate. And walks to welcome it.Encounter*Charm, Psychic, Shadow Minor Action Range 5Target: One Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Will Hit: The target is marked until the end of your next turn and you slide the target a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier towards you.

Flaming Death Blackguard Attack 13Dark flames surround your weapon as you charge into the fray.Encounter*Fire, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier fire damage and enemies adjacent to the target take fire damage equal to your charisma modifier..Special: You can charge and use this power in place of a melee basic attack.

Inescapable Darkness Blackguard Attack 13Dark radiance creeps into your foes eyes, making their world as dark as if they were dead.Encounter*Implement, Radiant, Shadow Standard Action Range 5Target: One Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d8 + Charisma modifier radiant damage and the target is blinded until the end of your next turn.

Blood Fusion Blackguard Attack 15The closer you are to Death, the more powerful your attacks become.Daily* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC; You must be bloodied to use this power.Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damageMiss: Half-damage. Effect: Whenever you are bloodied you can deal additional damage to all blackguard powers or paragon path powers equal to your Constitution modifier until the end of the encounter.

Call for Power Blackguard Utility 16You spend some of your life energy to gain more power.At-Will (Special)*Necrotic, ShadowSpecial: You can use this power a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1), but only once per round.Minor Action PersonalEffect: You spend a healing surge, but instead of healing you add a point to your Death Count. You must have at least one healing surge remaining to use this power.

Death's Gate Blackguard Utility 16You sink through the floor into Death's realm. You can only stay a short time, but you can use Death's connection to the entire world to rise safely in a different location.Encounter* Shadow, TeleportationMove Action PersonalEffect: You teleport your move. You do not need line of sight to the destination, but if you attempt to teleport to a space you can't occupy, you don't move.Special: If you spend a point from your Death Count and you attempt to teleport to a space you can’t occupy then you do not lose the use of this power.

Lingering Life Blackguard Utility 16Your enemy thinks his blow has finished you, but it's not your time to die just yet.Daily*Healing, Shadow Immediate Reaction PersonalTrigger: An attack makes you drop to zero hit points or fewer.Effect: You spend a healing surge and two points from your Death Count and you regain hit points as if you spent a healing surge + your charisma modifier

Symbol of Pain Blackguard Attack 17You draw a cursed symbol in the air with your hand, causing all those around you to be wracked with pain.Encounter*Implement, Necrotic, Shadow Standard Action Close Burst 1Target: Each creature in burst Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 2d8 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Death's Scythe Blackguard Attack 19You conjure a scythe of dark radiance that stalks your foe. If the foe tries to escape you, the scythe strikes.Daily* Conjuration, Implement, Radiant, ShadowStandard Action Range 5Target: One Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 3d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.Effect: You conjure a scythe of dark radiance appears in the same square of the target. When the target moves, the scythe moves with it remaining in the same square. If the target attacks someone other than you anytime during this encounter the scythe can make the following attack. Immediate Interrupt Melee 1Target: Triggering Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 1d10 + Charisma modifier radiant damage.Sustain minor: You sustain the effect.

Cull the Souls Blackguard Utility 22Skeletal hands grab your enemy’s feet, and with great power they drag the target towards you.Encounter* Shadow Move Action Range 10Target: One or two creatures in range.Effect: You slide the target a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier.Special: This movement must bring the targets adjacent to you or the targets don’t move. You can spend a point from your Death Count to add another target to this effect.

Death's Reach Blackguard Utility 22Enemies may doubt how far you weapon can go, but your dark powers allow it to reach them.Daily* Shadow, Stance Minor Action PersonalEffect: Until the end of the encounter or the stance ends, you treat your weapon as if it has the reach property and you have threatening reach against targets marked by you.

Servants of Death Blackguard Utility 22You grant your allies some of Death's power to aid them in punishing your foes.Daily* Shadow Minor Action Close Burst 5Effect: Each ally in the burst can add your charisma modifier to their damage rolls until the end of the encounter.

Death's Duel Blackguard Attack 25You and your opponent sink into Death's realm. The longer you stay the closer to Death each of you become.Daily*Necrotic, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 4[W] + Strength modifier damage and you and the target sink into Death's realm until the end of your next turn. While in Death's realm you and the target are immobilized. In addition, no other creature has line of sight or line of affect to either of you, and only the two of you have line of sight and line of effect to each other. You also both suffer ongoing 10 + your implement bonus necrotic damage, and all other effects on the creature immediately end. This effect ends if either you or the target dies or becomes unconscious, you don't sustain the power, or the target makes a save with a -2 penalty on that save. When the effect ends, you and the target appear in your original squares, or the nearest unoccupied square (you choose) though you must remain adjacent to each other.Sustain minor: Spend a point from your Death Count and you and the target remain in Death’s Realm until the end of your next turn.Special: You can avoid the ongoing damage by spending an additional point from your Death Count.

Dreadful Strike Blackguard Attack 25Spirits that died with intense fear imbue your weapon, and the attack transfers their fear to your foe.Daily*Fear, Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Melee WeaponTarget: One Creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 5[W] + Strength Modifier damage and the target is immobilized and weakened (save ends both)Miss: Half damage and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn.

Foul Thirst Blackguard Attack 27Your weapon is thirsty for your foes blood, and your enemies know it.Encounter* Shadow, Weapon Standard Action Close burst 1Target: Each creature in the burst you can see.Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 3[W] + Strength modifier damage and the target is marked until the end of your next turn.

Skewering Spikes Blackguard Attack 27You throw dark spikes into you foes, stabbing through one straight into the other.Encounter*Implement, Necrotic, Shadow Standard Action Range 5Target: One Creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 3d8 + Charisma modifier necrotic damage and the target is immobilized until the end of your next turn. Repeat the attack against an adjacent creature.

Paragon Paths[sblock= "Grim Reaper"]“Your time has come, there is no escape.”

Prerequisite: Blackguard Class, Reaper’s Foe class feature

You become the symbol of Death itself. You are the intermediary between the land of the living and the land of the dead, assisting the transition of those who accept their fate; however, you are the nightmare of those who attempt to avoid it. Death grants you the power to hunt them down, as well as preventing their escape. Those who attempt to oppose you only shorten their own lives.

Grim Reaper Path Features:Reaper’s Hunting Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you also gain a +4 bonus to attack roll against targets marked by you until the start of your next turn.

Balancing isn't my strong point, so I'll just have to comment on what little I can determine needs work heh.

Reaper's foe doesn't work. A PC can only make one immediate action per round, and this ability uses one immediate action to pull, and another to attack. I recommend making the attack just a part of the immediate action used to pull the enemy, it's simpler and it works as intended.

I love the idea of the death count, I really do, but I think the way you're implementing it is a little too unbalanced. +1 to attack rolls and damage rolls with every enemy you kill? Even if it's just with implements, this is an insane bonus considering, say, the Fighter has entire class feature that gives a +1 to attack rolls which is balanced with a lot of their more exotic styles like tempest and battleraging. What's more, making it stack is even worse, as a +1 to hit is just as powerful in epic as it is at heroic. So getting a total of +6 to hit with a quick minion sweep is nuts. I can't think of a good alternative off the top of my head though... maybe just a +2 to damage rolls for each death point? Makes the Blackguard seem a bit like a striker, but I think that's a secondary role you were going for anyway.

Poisonous strike could probably be 2W and still be okay, and a Blackguard using radiant seems odd, but you've managed to justify it quite well fluff wise.

Despite all those little nitpicks, I really like the way the class is shaping up mechanically and fluff wise, so good work

Thanks. I guess my description was a bit off on the Reaper's foe, it's intended to be the same action, and if you can't take that action the other action is taken instead. I had trouble wording it, so I'll take a look.

As for the Death Count, it's to replace the implements that other spell casters have. Blackguards don't have any other implement so Death Count is used to make up for that. Maybe my wording was wierd. There is also a level limit (that is the same as the magic item enhancment bonus table in PH 1). So that was the idea, but I'll look into that wording too.

And lastly, as for Poisonous Strike I was unsure if it was unbalanced as 2[W], but you have reassured me so I'll move it up.

Oh okay, sorry about that, you should really add that their proficient with the Death Count implement in their overview... and hm, that actually makes it rather weak considering. I suppose it is quite fun to think of blackguard murdering as many monsters as possible with weapons so they can get off their more powerful implement attacks, but in practice without a whole tonne of minions (and especially in epic) they won't ever be up to scratch with other implement users with their implement attacks.

No problem, the class concept interests me, so only natural I'd want to contribute

Hm... well, the easiest way would be to allow Death Count to be enchanted as any other implement, maybe only with the basic magic weapon/implement enchantment? Then with each enemy you kill, you can bestow a greater magical effect to it, like +2 damage, keen... although that would be horribly complicated and remove a fair bit of the fluff...

And the temp hp doesn't really help the issue, which is that when in epic, there's a good chance you won't even get half way to the maximum mark, let alone surpass it

I didn't think the Temp. Hit points added much either, it was just a quick fix at the moment.

I see what you mean by the enhancing the Death Count/weapon, and it's something to think about. Maybe at higher level you could get ways to adapt it (similar effects to properties or something) though I don't want to make players sacrifice feats for that. Maybe make it so you can use them to enhance powers (sort of like psionics) giving you added effects, but you lose a point, or something. Though I don't want to steal the Psionics fire either or totally ruin the basic idea.

Death Count points also can enhance Daily/Utility powers, but I don't think that totally repairs it either.

Thanks for the advice Krusk. I do know about the Blackguard in the previous editions, I just liked the idea of having it back, (and totally refluffed so it can be good). However, (after I post everything) I may change the name, though mostly because they already have some Blackguard monster encounters.

Okay, it'll take me a while to run through all of this, but let me start at the beginning.

Death count: I don't think this is a very good idea, honestly. I see what you're going for, but this just doesn't work from a mechanical stand-point. As was mentioned before, unless the battle is flooded by lower level minions, you're never going to be able to get your Implement enhancement bonus up to a level where it could actually HIT anything, thus making Implement attacks practically useless unless the enemy is six or more levels below you.

The way I would fix this is to let the Blackguard use other implements (probably a weapliment), and just have the death count apply a bonus to that which scales by tier. For example;

If you're really intent on having it use its death count as its sole implement (even though it doesn't really make sense, unless this is literally a list of people he's killed... which would be kind of cool, I guess. Sort of like DeathNote), then I would just let them enchant it to give it a base enhancement bonus, and then apply the above.

Dark Blessing: First of all, it seems strange that you'd offer a heavy armor class an incentive to use light armor, but that in itself is fine. Using CHA for defense is also okay, and the bonus to stealth checks is also fine. With the crit damage boost, I'd suggest using the attack bonus instead of the damage one (if you use my advice above); +3d6 on a crit is good, +6d6 on a crit is broken.

Despair Blessing: Well, first of all, from a grammatical standpoint, it should probably be "Blessing of Despair". The penalty to saves and the bonus to attack is fine, but the same advice I gave about extra crit damage above applies here as well.

Reaper's Foe: This is good, and I like that you give the enemy a choice between "stay within X squares of me, or your buddies take damage from my mark". It also presents a good strategy for getting your death count up and running; mark a dude just within reach and then park next to a group of minions. >=D "Go ahead, run! I dare ya!"

-Powers-

Black Flame: You should swap the hit damage and conditional damage, I think. Using a standard action to deal 3-10 damage for an effect the enemy can easily avoid seems like a wasted attack to me. =/

Reaper's Cull: Broken. There are no at-will attacks that daze a target, and for good reason. I would have this knock them prone or grant combat advantage, or something instead.

Life Leech: I notice that all of these have Charisma riders, and no Con. You should give Con Blackguards at least one at-will that gives them a bonus for high Con, I think. Life Leech seems like a good candidate to me.

Remnant Strike: It doesn't really make sense for the secondary attack to deal [W] damage... maybe have it be 1d6 thunder damage instead, and give the secondary attack the Implement keyword.

Poisonous Strike: Instead of a special line, why don't you just put in the target line, "One creature granting you combat advantage.

Spectral Scythe: First off, you could just add an effect line after each hit line that says "make a ___ attack" instead of repeating it in the hit and miss lines. Second, I would reverse the order of the damage progression so that the more likely you are to hit, the less damage it does. That would make it slightly more balanced, and also less annoying for people who miss with the last attack.

Silent Armor: Instead of a special line, you could add "Sustain Minor: Spend a point from your death count. The effect persists."

Banishing Strike: Again, this doesn't need a special line, its effect against undead can be folded into the hit line (since it seems to only take effect on a hit anyway).

Soul Chains: You can fold the special line into the hit line. Really, a special line is only for things tha go beyond the normal rules of the game, like, "This power can be used as a melee basic attack" or "If you're a Dragonborn, the attack deals the same type of damage as your dragon breath", etc.

Guillotine: This is an interesting attack. The only thing I can see that might be wrong is that I don't know if "melee 1" would be the way to represent this, since technically "melee 1" means adjacent to you, so maybe "melee 1 (centered on 1 square of the wall)" would be better.

Deathly Reactions: I think a better way to format this would be to add a trigger line: "You would be surprised" and then have the effect line say, "you are not surprised.". Unless you wanted him to be able to act, but still grant CA from being surprised... that could be added into the effect line though; "you grant combat advantage until the end of the first round of combat".

Graveyard Spires: This should have the Conjuration Keyword, not Summoning. Summoning only refers to creatures you can give commands to, whereas this is obviously not that. Also, if you change it to conjuration, the special line becomes unnecessary.

Black Faze: You might want to take out the "+ constitution modifier" part, since this is already a weapon attack vs a NAD, and deals Radiant damage (AKA "the best damage type in the game"), so it may be a bit much.

Headhunter: Special line should be changed to an effect line.

Dark Net: Damage is a little low. Also, you can fold the special line into the hit line; "2[W] + Strength modifier damage. If you spend a point from your death count, you may add you Charisma modifier to the damage roll."

Death's Focus: This is broken. What this does is basically open up the possibility of getting an automatic crit on every attack until the enemy saves (which could easily be made very unlikely with the right equipment). I would strongly recommend either making this simply an expanded crit range (18-20 sounds fine for a daily), or making it last until you score a critical hit against the enemy. That said, you could up the damage a little bit.

Kill the Toxin: Special line can be folded into effect line.

Skeletal Armor: +4 is a little much for a plate-wearing class. That could make him essentially unhittable by level 30, not to mention that with mark of warding this becomes a +5 (making your possible AC somewhere around 55 by level 30... that means that a monster literally has to crit you in order to hit). I'd drop it to +2.

Thanks for the help Chameleon-X. Sorry about all the special lines, wasn't sure where to place them.

I'm still fixing Death Count, though adding another implement has been tempting I have sort of been avoiding it. I see what you mean by the bonuses per point, though I was a bit wary of implementing such a thing. I may reduce Call for Power to a lower level, or perhaps a feature, but make it a differnt cost.

Agreed on the grammatical standpoint of Despair Blessing, though I thought most features had the name then set thing going, though I probably will change it. Unsure on the damage bonus thing, it's for a crit only and other implements of that level have similar pluses. May just be confused though on how that whole scheme works. If you'd explain it more in depth, thanks. I'll also look into it.

Dark Flame: I see what you mean, I just wanted to make the effect happen a lot. So 1d10 damage and then Charisma modifier damage if they ignore you?

Reaper's Cull: Yeah, I'll drop it.

Life Leech: Was going to make it Con, but when I looked through the books, most were just the two primary scores for at-wills which is why I didn't. Maybe I'll switch it though.

Remnant Strike: See what you mean about a wierd situation. I'll probably take your advice and make it deal around 1d6 force damage. Thunder would work too.

Poisonous Strike: Yup, sorry for all the specials.

Spectral Scythe: I'll fix the language. The reason I made the last hit deal the most damage is becuase that way you have a higher chance to deal the good damage which I thought fit with a daily use (since it's essentially a +4 to hit.) I didn't want people to think it was a waste of a daily It also fit the description. I was using total damage as a final calc, though didn't know DPR math then.

Silent Armor: I'll make the change, horrible wording on my part. Was thinking the same thing, just never got to it.

Banishing Strike & Soul Chains & Headhunter & Kill the Toxin: Yup

Guillotine: I did Melee one becuase I was unsure of what the range would be correctly on the square. Thanks for the advice.

Deathly Reactions: Yeah, want him to be able to react. Your wording is probably better so I'll make the shift.

Graveyard Spires: Made it summoning becuase you can attack summoned creatures, though I'll switch it to conjuration and put a line in saying that they can be attacked.

Black Faze: I had no idea radiant was the best damage type (don't play fourth often). I'll drop the Con, I put it cause I was afraid it may be bad without, but just over-thinking again.

Dark Net: Made the damage low becuase I thought I may be entering too far into the fighter's domain and didn't want it too good. I'll power it up.

Death's Focus: I was thinking of the rogue's power that makes the foe unconcious, but making it so only the Blackguard (who needs the kills) gets the advantage and making it differn't. The class was originally built differnt which is why the power lost some punch, so I'll increase it up. I was actually worried that save ends was too powerful, silly me.

Skeletal Armor: Worried it was a bit much also. Which is why I made it a daily. I'll agree on it being too much, especially with someone now backing me, and reduce it.

As for death count, what I'm proposing is basically that you either have them use a normal implement, or let them enchant their death count to give them an enhancement bonus. So that would be a +1 to a +6 to attacks and damage from the enhancement bonus alone.

Then, for death count, I would have each kill add +1 to attack, and +1 to damage, maxing out at +3 and +5/10/15, respectively, giving them a total of +4 to + 9 to attack, and a +6 to + 21 to damage. Note that at each tier, you would have to kill five creatures to get the maximum bonus (which is the standard encounter size for five players).

Anyway, I was using hyperbole when I said radiant is the best type, by the same logic that makes necrotic the second worst type in the game, and poison next to useless. The reason is that about 40% of the monsters in the game are undead, which resist necrotic and are vulnerable to radiant, whereas there's only a small handfull of monsters that actually resist radiant (angels, deva, and coatls are the only ones I can think of off-hand), making it second only to Force damage in being almost entirely unresisted (while being somewhat better because NOTHING is vulnerable to force damage). Poison, on the opposite end, is almost useless because the afformentioned undead (as well as constructs, elementals, and a host of other creatures) are flat-out IMMUNE to posion.

Granted, if you never fight undead, radiant isn't as useful, and poison isn't as useless, but meh.

I'm gonna have to agree with the above poster. Death Count starts out too good by handing out the enhancement bonus at L1, then ends up too weak by requiring the late-level Blackguard to kill 6 things before being on par with the rest of the party.

To that end, multiclass Blackguards are also the best Blackguards, because the bonus stacks with enhancements from magic implements. MC into something else and gain huge bonuses.

My suggestion? Give them an implement. It doesn't really matter which (Holy Symbols are preferred because they don't occupy a hand). Turn Death Count into something like the Barbarian's Feral Might or the Warlock's pact boon, which reward them when something dies.

Also, in general, attacks off a secondary stat = a bit of a no-no.

I'll post more comments later.

"The best defense is a good offense." -Gen. George S. Patton
Also known as: LDB.
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My 4E CharOp Threads:

Ok, I changed Death Count so that after an extended rest you start with a number of points equal to half the number you can hold. I also made it so that you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls at 11th level as long as you are using Death Count to empower your powers rather than an implement and at 21st level it adds an additional +2 to damage rolls for using it. I also included a feat that allows you to use holy symbols as an implement with a bonus to intimidate for wearing one just so the feat won't be too boring. I hope this works, I'm edgy on the +1 bonus, but it makes Death Count look a lot more favorable than the Holy Symbols.

Its been awhile since I have been working on this class, but I have recently updated Death Count and the Implements. Death Count now mostly counts points, though can be enchanted as a holy symbol or ki focus, which the Blackguard can use as implements. What do you all think?

So, I realize that Reaper's Cull is a blah power at the moment. I'm having trouble making it good against undead, but not broken in use. Maybe make it an encounter power they get for free with a bit more effect (like turn undead)? And I'm also thinking of maybe letting the class add its death count to damage rolls, though I worry that it might be too much. What do you guys think?

Additionally, I added a new feat that makes scythes a much more appealing choice for use. It makes them Brutal 1 and increases their proficiency bonus.